The Wall - Phase 2 Laying Block

This post shows the block being laid for the curved part of the J wall.  You can see Marlon not only cutting block into short pieces, but leveling as he goes.  The tall sticks of vertical rebar will provide strength for when this area is filled with dirt.

Looking from the other way, you can see Marlon continuing to lay block while Alvarro drills drain holes so that this section discharges water in future rains.  All of this is essential to creating a durable wall.  As you view this, you can all see how they are working up the hill as they go.

Alvarro and Marlon still working on that curved part, but here it is nearly at full height.  You can see the precision they achieved in their slow and deliberate work.  The inside will be filled with good planting soil near the top of the wall. 

Viewed from 90 degrees around them, you can see the outside developing here. 

As they work up to join the original upper retaining wall which you can see on the right side of this photo, you can see Marlon creating steps.  The cut in the concrete below where Marlon is laying block is the section that will form the upper planter box.  They have a good amount of block to lay to form that upper box, which will be considerably taller than the lower one.  We envision planting bamboo in the upper box, which will screen and provide a green foreground to what will be a tall wall behind it. 

  

This shows Marlon working up; actually at a point in block laying prior to the photo above.  He is working over those pipes which carry water and potentially electric downhill for a second structure.







Thanks again for reading!

Dick and Jim

The Wall - Phase 2 Rebar

This first photo shows the very beginnings of rebar going into the start of the "J wall".  The vertical post on the right is the left most outer roof support post (eve edge rather than center ridge).  To the right of that is the entry wall that, at a point, will have a door in it.  The block immediately left of that post is the wall height for the inside garden area. 

The old lower retaining wall that is holding five pieces of tubo and just to the left of the formed area on the left side of the photo will be removed as it no longer serves a function in holding up earth. 

J wall measurements and placement

Alvarro and Marlon spent a good half day working out the radius and block placement options setting up the footings for the curved part of the J.  In the lower right of the photo you can see the top of the block at the entry space, and the steel post the is the outer left roof support post. 

rebar of J wall

This is similar to the prior photo but from  a different angle. 

Here you can see the first part of the rebar basket in place for what will be the upper wall footings. 

Thanks for reading this far, more to come soon. 

Jim and Dick

The Wall - Phase 2 Trenches

This photo shows the trench largely dug out.  If you double click the photo to enlarge it, you'll see a grey and white PVC crossing the trench.  The dark grey one is an empty conduit for pulling power cables to provision power to a second structure "someday".  The white PVC supplies water also for future structure water needs, but also to supply water to an end of drive hose bib. 

This next photo is a closeup shot of the upper end of what used to be the downhill tubo for storm water.  It is concreted closed from above.  You can see that here, but the footings will complete the concrete from here on downhill. 









This final photo shows the partially formed in trench that will become the base of the new retaining wall.  The white and grey pipe has been previously described.  It will remain underground, but for now appears in these photos. 

The Wall - Phase 2 Layout

Now that the lower part of the walls are done, this begins the upper part, that connects the new lower wall into the uppermost retaining wall.  That uppermost wall is along the entire drive, and curves around to the side of the house on the uphill side.

When completed, that span of concrete "driveway" you see in the first photo will be gone, along with the major slip hazard that presented.  If you look closely, you'll see a blue line  across the drive.  This is the approximate position of the outermost (from the house perspective) wall along the driveway.  I call it the "J Wall" on the plans since from the new entryway, it forms sort of a J and then goes uphill from there. 

In this next photo, you can see that blue line gone and now the concrete along the wall path is broken up, and somewhat dug out. 

That concrete "tubo" being stacked against the old "lower retaining wall" is what is underground, and what was disabled in January 2012 as part of rerouting storm water away from this area. 

My Costa Rican workers are at least frugal, and all that tubo will be used to extend the diversion, and provide greater control over the stormwater. 

In this photo, you can see the layout from above, with the tubos still in place. 

This last photo has all of the tubo out of the way, and if yu look closely you can see the bend to form the "J" of the J wall. 

The Wall - Phase 1 Completed!

View of tallest part with buttresses

So you've seen the prep work; and each of the steps leading up to the completion of Phase 1.  We are close to a month ahead of schedule here, and while I was taking these photos, work on Phase two had started. 

This first photo shows the completed lowest wall, with the two butresses that help give them strength. 

Our crew stopped on the buttresses to ask whether we preferred a stepped finish, just filling in the holes with cement; or a smooth angled finish.  Admittedly that nice smooth slope could look very nice.  But steps are easier to finish and won't chip as future earthquakes try to shake it all loose.  So we're finishing the stepped look. 

When the other phases are complete, the block holes at the top will all be filled in and flat. 

View showing emerging entry pad, and drop for stair to bodega

This second photo is just a shift of gaze to the right from the vantage point used to take the photo above.  You can see how there are three steps.  To the left is the parking area level.  To the right, and filled in with sand, is the entry level to the new courtyard.  The shadowed part out to the wall will actually be INSIDE the house. 

The three block step to the right of that forms the bottom of the garden that will be INSIDE the courtyard.  You can see the beginning of the J wall trenches dug. 

The bit of old retaining wall on the right side, that curves, was knocked down the morning after we took these photos. Even after these photos were taken, but before leaving, there was a good amount of progress on Phase 2.

View across courtyard towards entry

Thi photo is just a different perspective of what is covered in the photo above.  You can see the entryway, and how things drop off from there.  Outside the wall where the door will be will be two steps that transition one from parking level to inside the house. 

We debated this whole design feature before executing it.  On one hand, we liked the idea of a higher parking area.  But that would have raised that lowest wall by two blocks and about 50cm; requiring a lot more fill, and associated expense.  Further, that much more material held back would have required additional buttresses for no benefit other than avoiding those two steps to transition from parking to house. 

Finally by having the parking level that much lower, the stairs leading down to the bodega (storage) level can be shorter making access easier long term.  There will be a number of deliveries over time to the bodega, so that ease will be useful long term.

Perspective.  Finished pad level about 7cm below top block

We resommend double clicking this photo since a larger view will make it's intention clear.  You can see the parking wall, and the first buttress helping support it.  But what we are focusing on is the fact that this is stll three concrete blocks taller than the driveway at this point. 

So later on, probably in late April, we will continue this wall to the right and then back so that we form a higher driveway level at this point. 

Perspective, parking pad height on right, entry pad center and lower planter height on left.  Three roof posts surrounded by concrete now.

When understood together, you can see the significance to parking and entry ease this project affords.  In future blogs you'll see the J wall begin to emerge.

Thanks for reading our blog. 

Dick and Jim

The Wall: Phase 1 Block

Part of wall including beginning of the buttress.

Once again, this is more of a photo blog than one with many words, but I'll explain what you're seeing in each.

This section of wall is from the existing driveway downhill towards the house (behind you from this vantage point).  In reality the crew has been building from the lowest footing point towards this, so quite a bit of block has been layed. 

One thing you might notice though is that thinner row of block on the left, two rows below the top.  The crew actually hand saws these blocks to that height.  They've made calculations in their head about what thickness is needed so the wall joins level where you see them connect.  At this point, wall is about half built.

Beginning of T leading to wall under the stair. 

In this photo, much of that wall in the photo above is close to final height; and the crew begins on the T wall that intersects.  They are criss crossing block so that the wall sections are integrated as a single unit for strength. 

This is critical at this point since earthquakes are relatively frequent, and this wall at end will hold up a lot of earth and vehicles. 

Wall leading up to the T going under stair

This is another view of that T intersect wall, now of course looking towards the existing structure.  The three steel galvanized posts you see will be the main roof supports for the roof that will eventually cover this space. 

Photo perspective makes it appear that the post on the right is to the right of the bedroom window you see on the house.  In fact, it lines up several CM to the left of that window when viewed square to the house. 

Tallest part of wall mostly done

This photo shows the wall in the original photo above virtually completed.  As is always the case with photos on this blog series, you can double-left-click on the photo to see it in full sized view.  Take a look now and you can see the series of weep holes from the bottom to about the midpoint on the wall.

These weep holes are another device that ensures this wall is holding just earth (and vehicles) and not becoming a big heavy swimming pool.  They are essential to the stability of the wall.

Note also that while the block appears hollow on top, the crew is filling in every level with cement to the top of the bock before the put on another layer.  So at end, it is a solid concrete wall with rebar through it. 

This is showing the emerging entry retaining wall.  The photo angle is deceiving.  The level in the center is equal to the level at the bottom of the stairs.  Alvarro is working on his calculations to integrate this next section to this wall. 

Behind his left foot is the upper most roof support post, and in future blogs there will be a new wall, I'll refer to as the "J wall" that connects to this wall.  So as part o Alvarro's calculations he is putting in place interconnects so that the J wall is an integral part of the emerging wall system. 

Overall this project was projected to take 6 - 7 weeks.  In fact they were done in about 3 weeks, well ahead of schedule. 

More to come, thanks for reading!

Jim and Dick